landmark Study Links Fossil Fuel Giants to Climate Crisis

A groundbreaking study reveals the considerable impact of the world’s largest fossil fuel and cement producers,known as “carbon majors,” on global warming and sea-level rise. The peer-reviewed research,published in *Environmental Research Letters*,attributes nearly half of the global average temperature increase and a third of the sea-level rise to these 122 entities.

This research provides critical data for understanding the past duty for climate change and underscores the urgency for holding these companies accountable. As the U.S. grapples with increasingly severe weather events, the findings resonate deeply with communities facing rising sea levels, extreme heat, and devastating storms.

“This study underscores that the past actions of fossil fuel and cement producers will have consequences long into the future,”
Authors of the study

Key Findings of the UCS Study

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a U.S.-based science advocacy NGO, conducted the in-depth study, employing climate-carbon cycle models to analyze the impact of emissions from carbon majors between 1854 and 2020. The findings are alarming:

Moreover, the study projects that greenhouse gasses from these companies’ past production could lead to a staggering 35 centimeters (approximately 14 inches) of sea-level rise by 2300. this long-term impact highlights the enduring consequences of past emissions.

The Cost of Delayed Action: A Hypothetical Scenario

The UCS study also explores a hypothetical scenario: What if carbon majors had ceased emissions after 1990? The results are striking. Had these companies halted emissions after 1990, thay would have been responsible for a significantly smaller portion of current climate change:

Moreover, global temperatures today would be an estimated 0.18-0.23° Celsius (0.3-0.4° Fahrenheit) lower, and sea levels would be 2-3 cm (0.7-1.2 in) below current levels. This stark contrast underscores the profound difference that timely action could have made.

Implications for the United States

For the U.S.,these findings have significant implications. Coastal communities from Miami to New York City are already grappling with the effects of rising sea levels, including increased flooding and erosion. Inland states are experiencing more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. The study’s attribution of these impacts to specific actors could fuel legal and policy efforts to hold carbon majors accountable for the damages they have caused.

The Path Forward: Accountability and Mitigation

The study’s authors emphasize that “immediate and near-term mitigation is crucial to meeting global climate goals and reducing the long-term impacts.” This includes transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and implementing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the economy. They also advocate for corporate accountability measures to prevent practices that worsen the effects of climate change.

Climate scientist and study co-author Shaina Saadi highlights the potential for using this research in legal battles against the fossil fuel industry.As she stated in a UCS blogpost, this research can help people seeking to file lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry to hold them accountable for the devastating impacts of stronger storms, more destructive wildfires, sea level rise and other effects of climate change.

This call for accountability resonates with growing public awareness of the climate crisis and increasing demands for action from both governments and corporations. As communities across the U.S.continue to experience the devastating impacts of climate change, the pressure on carbon majors to take responsibility for their role in the crisis will only intensify.